


Roses And Thorns

by QueenOfNewOrleans22



Series: The Silent Cries [1]
Category: Guns N' Roses
Genre: Angst, Angst and Feels, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, M/M, Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms, Unhealthy Relationships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-04
Updated: 2020-07-04
Packaged: 2021-03-04 20:08:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 944
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25072141
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QueenOfNewOrleans22/pseuds/QueenOfNewOrleans22
Summary: Slash is breaking apart piece by piece, but he's still stuck on this wild ride.
Relationships: Axl Rose/Slash | Saul Hudson, Duff Mckagan & Slash
Series: The Silent Cries [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1823191
Comments: 10
Kudos: 11





	Roses And Thorns

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own Guns and Roses. I do not know the members of Guns and Roses. This is a piece of fiction that I wrote for entertainment purposes without any profit made and this, is no way, represents any member of the band truly.

Axl is dangerous. 

_But that's what attracted you to him, isn't it? The unpredictability._

Yes. Once upon a time, it had drawn Slash to Axl like a moth that had saw the light and gotten to close. Once upon a time, Slash had found it exciting and new, but now, here, in this dark world they'd found themselves in, trapped in a train that was destined to crash, it was exhausting and, at times, scary, because even though Slash was a grown man who was supposed to have his life together this was where he'd found himself and he didn't think that leaving now was an option, not then. Slash fooled himself and pretended that he wasn't scared, but in reality, it was like a fox that had gotten snared in a trap. Cursing their stupidity, their naivete, tugging on what kept them so close to danger in an effort to rid themselves of such a thing but knowing, all the while, that it wasn't worth the effort. They'd been caught, and whatever that was happening next couldn't be persuaded. 

So Slash turned to other things, trying to make his mind off of what had plagued him so. The man who'd stolen his heart and was crushing it within his slender fingers, who smiled so prettily and hurt so cruelly, who didn't know how to stop, did he? No. Axl kept going and blamed others when he went to fast and hit a roadblock. Axl was cruel and when Slash was young, it'd been attractive. But now, older and wiser and smarter, he knew better. He knew how quickly Axl could go from, how his face could twist, from a prince to a beast. Slash didn't have the courage to say 'no'. No was the forbidden word. In the end, Slash turned to the drugs and alcohol and began to pray that after every time, every binge, that one of either two things would happen- When he awoke, the world would be a different place, or he'd be dead. Of course, he'd never awaken again if he was dead, but that was the point, wasn't it? 

The longer it went, the more hope began to seep. Slash began to think of it like a hole had been poked in him, and whatever was inside of him- hope, love, all the works- was being lost. He couldn't get it back, and so maybe he resented Axl for more than one thing. 

_Resented._

Axl had a sharp tongue. He was clever, too, and he knew how to hurt people. No matter who they were, how close they were, if the slightest thing wasn't right, it was a completely different person. One minute, he was kind, loving, even, the sort of man who was charming and who could make you smile even when you felt like dying. But then he changed, and you couldn't run away fast enough when the smile fell away to reveal the mask, and then Axl would take his mask off and- 

Goodbye, Dr. Jekyll. Hello, Mr. Hyde. 

Slash craved it. Slash hated it. He loathed his own stupidity and hated himself for allowing this to happen, and yet, he couldn't find the strength nor the bravery to say or do anything. He fell apart, losing himself and becoming numb. Axl could say or do anything that he so as well pleased, but Slash couldn't feel the cuts anymore. It didn't matter. Not in the long run. He wouldn't make it to thirty-five, either way, even if he could run. 

One night, after a binge and a lengthy fight, Duff, of all people, found him in the hotel room that Axl had vacated after satisfying himself with what had been said, what had been done, and he'd sat down beside Slash, right on the hard, uncomfortable ground, watching him with careful eyes. Slash had curled himself in the corner, not knowing how to feel, not knowing if he could even feel anymore, and then Duff had grabbed him and pulled him into an embrace that had seemed so unfamiliar and yet not at all. His arms were wrapped securely around Slash's body, pulling him close, not saying anything but saying so much more than nothing, it was safe and peaceful and Slash had fallen apart. His final piece broke away. 

That night in a dark hotel room, Slash had cried like a child and felt pain for the first time in what felt like years. He had sobbed and went on for hours, feeling ridiculous and stupid but unable to stop, clutching Duff's arms tightly, as if to reassure himself of the man that was pressed against him. Duff had been silent throughout the whole thing, had stroked Slash's back and brushed away his hair and listened, just being there. It had felt personal and, under normal circumstances, both would've felt terribly embarrassed but neither did. 

Eventually, Slash had quieted, and in that moment, with the sun just barely coming up the horizon, Duff had leaned down and, still brushing away Slash's hair, had whispered everything that he'd needed to say. 

" _Run,_ Saul." 

And maybe it'd been the urgency in Duff's voice, or the use of his real name, but any protests had fallen away without complaint. Slash had grabbed his clothes, his wallet, his guitar, and had ran. He'd ran and ran and called Duff from a payphone and caught a bus and continued running. 

And, even now, laying in bed with his wife so many years later, calm in the knowledge that both of his sons were safe and okay in the other rooms, Slash knew that he had never stopped. 


End file.
